Singapore GP: Vettel concerned by Ferrari after losing pole to Hamilton
AP | September 16, 2018 14:30 ISTVettel sat glum-faced in the news conference after qualifying third, trailing Hamilton by a sizeable margin in Formula One terms: 0.6 seconds.
Vettel sat glum-faced in the news conference after qualifying third, trailing Hamilton by a sizeable margin in Formula One terms: 0.6 seconds.
Hamilton produced something special to set a blistering time and secure a record-extending 79th pole position in Formula One and a 200th for a British driver.
The 38-year-old Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One champion, is being replaced next season by 20-year-old Charles Leclerc.
Sebastian Vettel was nearly two seconds behind Raikkonen in ninth, but was using slower tires than his teammate.
Raikkonen, who won the 2007 Formula One title with Ferrari, will be heading back to Sauber from next season while Leclerc will take his seat alongside Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel and Hamilton are both chasing a fifth F1 title to move level with Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio and go two behind record-holder Michael Schumacher.
The Mercedes driver beat Raikkonen, who had started in pole, to tie Michael Schumacher's record of five Italian GP victories and extend his championship lead.
Surprisingly, it was Kimi Raikkonen who edged his teammate and title hopeful Vettel in qualifying on Saturday to clinch only his second pole position in 10 years.
Hamilton started from pole position for a record fifth time at Spa, and a record-extending 78th in Formula One, with Vettel second on the grid.
The Mercedes driver saved his best for the last lap to easily beat Sebastian Vettel's leading time for Ferrari by 0.7 seconds and secure a Formula One record-extending 78th pole.
Raikkonen was .168 ahead of Hamilton and nearly a half second clear of the British driver's Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas.
Vettel lost his way after the summer break last year, winning only one of nine races compared to five by Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso will leave Formula One at the end of the season and potentially move to IndyCar in the United States.
The Australian driver, who has won seven races since joining Red Bull in 2014, has agreed to a two-year deal with Renault.
Hamilton was untroubled as he secured a second straight win, fifth of the season and 67th overall.
Hamilton again showed he is untouchable in the rain, producing a brilliant last lap to take pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel was faster than Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
Vettel should have been the one in the ascendancy, but his clumsy crash while leading the rain-soaked German GP last Sunday cost him the race and gifted victory to Hamilton.
Hamilton's love of fighting from the back is somewhat ironic, considering he is F1's record holder with 76 pole positions — eight more than Michael Schumacher.
Leading both the drivers' and constructors' championships before the race, Vettel and Ferrari are now behind in both.
The German's mishap opened the door wide open for Hamilton, who is 17 points clear of Vettel after trailing by eight beforehand.
Already trailing Vettel by eight points in the title race, Hamilton starts Sunday's race from 14th place after a hydraulic failure.
The 20-year-old Dutch driver clocked 1 minute, 13.085 seconds to eclipse veteran Kimi Raikkonen's time of 1:13.78 from 2004.
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